Festung Breslau
by Madame-de-Sade
Summary: They don't win this war. Everything falls slowly... A story in which Gilbert is in eastern front and Ludwig and Sophie (fem!Austria) are in Breslau one of the last cities that surrendere during IIWW.
1. Chapter 1

Notes. Everything in this story is placed in Breslau – now this city after IIWW is in Poland, but during Interwar period it was German city (generally it is quite complicated and if you want to know whose Breslau was earlier you should just read about this, because it is not the most important thing for my story). Anyway Breslau was also one of the last German city which surrendered . It was 6th may 1945, four days after Berlin. Festung means fortress. Breslau was announced fortress in 1944 which means that no one could surrender, they should have fought to the end and they did. This politick caused that thousands of civilians was killed and the city was destroyed. It is just general background of my story. Main paring (probably I am not sure for now) will be fem!Austria/Germany.

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**Festung Breslau**

_Berlin_

A sunny day in Berlin. Sophie was sitting in an armchair. They were losing. Nothing new, it's impossible to win the war when you fought on two fronts. Her thoughts were interrupted by Gilbert's clumsy entrance.

"I need your help!" He exclaimed loudly.

"You always need my help." Sophie muttered.

"Yes, yes, I know, listen, I need you go to Breslau."

"No." Austria didn't want to know what was going on, helping Gilbert wasn't her dream.

"I am going to eastern front and West will be alone there and you know that kid doesn't know how to deal with all this crap, so you need to go there and make sure that he will be fine."

Sophie wasn't amused, but reluctantly she agreed after all it was for Ludwig not Gilbert.

_Few weeks later in Breslau._

The sun was shining for many days. It warmed the walls of the Old Town, which glowed in different shades. Light went through ivy leaves. High boots clicked on pavement. The heat was unbearable even for the Thousand Year Reich officials. Slowly sun forced them to took off jackets and leather gloves.

Young man with inadequately to his age high insignia was wearing white shirt with sleeves pulled to his elbows. After a quick march he stopped and walked into the shop, bought water. Seller looked sympathetically at him.

"So, from now we are a fortress."

Blue eyes, so tired from heat suddenly focused on the other man.

"They announced it?"

"Something like an hour ago. Is there any problem Herr Beilschmidt?"

Ludwig's palm curled into fist. He quickly drank water and ran out from the store. Streets from Old Town to his mansion had never been so long before. The tram in front of his car was as fast as snail. Germany clenched fingers on the steering wheel until they were white. He wondered if Austria would be still there.

These times they were barely seen each other. Sophie came after Gilbert went to the eastern front. She lived in Ludwig's mansion and she was asked to help with changing city into fortress. Now she was probably in Fabric District. She was preparing city for a long siege. Dozens of sleepless night and anxious waiting.

With a soft crunch of gravel car parked in the driveway of the villa number one on the Park street. Trees protected Ludwig from hot sun. He saw his dogs and started wondering when he had taken them for a long walk… Duties filled every moment of his existence.

Heavy oak door opened with a creek. Inside of the house was silent in his marble glory.

"Sophie?" Ludwig stepped inside. "Are you…"

"You are lucky, I am living in five minutes." Tired eyes of Sophie appeared from nowhere.

He touched her palm lightly, it was trembling and she really looked like she needed more sleep.

"How is Fabric District?" He asked without comment about her health.

"It will be tough, but we are prepared. Russians are close and you now that they are…"

"Destroying everything on their path, right?" Ludwigs' eyes narrowed. For many years he was very sensitive to unnecessary destruction of the buildings, cities and memory places. He hated raids even destroying the cities of his enemies make him melancholic, he just thought that it was unnecessary. But he never had said that about killing people.

"What do we have today?"

"Meeting." Sophies' hands distracted Ludwigs' thoughts. Even if she was only improving his collar.

"Do we have to?

"Sorry, you know we do…"

They went to the car, Ludwig was driving. All the way they were silent.


	2. Chapter 2

Black shiny car with a red pennants went through the gate straight to the town hall. Ironically birds were happily singing hid somewhere in a safe place besides branches. Boots were clicking on the pavement and on the marble and finally sound decreased on a soft carpet.

"Guten Tag, Herr Generaloberst, Guten Tag, Frau Edelstein!"

"Guten Tag, Müller ... How was your day?"

"I report, Herr Generaloberst that it was very good!"

"Müller ..."

"Yes, Herr Generalloberst?"

"Tell me… Are you standing two meters away from me?"

"Something like that, Herr Generalloberst!"

"It is short all long distance?"

"I suppose it is short, Herr Generalloberst!"

"Then, why are you yelling?"

Behind Ludwig Sophie supressed laughter, quickly transferring snort into coughing. Germany turned away with serious face. Müller was bemused. Ludwig just winked to Sophie.

"Who is this?" Sophie asked when they went to the staircase.

"They moved him here from the front, because of some merit, but I think that he just screamed too loud. You know normally you have grenades, bombs, rifles and when you have a few minutes of rest you hear his voice. What would you do?"

"I would kick him to office." This time the both of them were laughing.

"Herr Beilschmidt, Madame welcome." Suddenly from random door appeared Gauleiter Karl Hanke. He was slim, bald man in a black uniform. He made affectionate gestures when he invited Sophie and Ludwig into his office. In a small room were sitting several generals and high ranked officials. They were smoking expensive cigars and flicking ash to the ashtrays. Oak table was littered with plans, on the wall was portrait of Hitler. Gauleiter sat down in his chair and reached for a large glass made of thick glass. At the bottom was amber scotch. After a few seconds there were two new glasses on the table one with scotch and one with vine. Slowly private conversations died. Hanke said a few laconic words about situation in the city.

"We will destroy it when Russians will get here." He ended, giving the audience a clear sign that he didn't see that situations possible.

"Are you joking, Herr Gauleiter?" Ludwig looked up from his glass. The room fell silent. The clock was ticking. "I can't agree for that."

"I am afraid that you and Madame do not have many things to say in this case. It's my responsibility, it is my city and I am a commander here."

"And because of that you want to send this city to space?"

"Mr Beilschmidt…"

"Please listen to me for once…" Quiet, usually slightly hoarse baritone voice trembled with anger. "Don't destroy it only because you can! For the honour which is so badly understood…"

"Ludwig, listen to me and take it to your heart." The older man spoke like to a stubborn child. "You should mind your pretty Aryan face, show up here from time to time and generally look nice. Nothing more. You have no influence here. Do you understand?"

Germany felt his hands clench into fists. Amber liquid in a wide glass trembled slightly, creating a minor disturbance on the perfect golden surface. In his head, he could hear only the roar of fury.

"You feel too important, Hanke."

"No, you feel too important , my boy. You can create idyll for Führer like you used to, but you should leave the war to people who have some ideas about it."

Sophie glanced nervously at Ludwig, she saw bitterness in his eyes. Meanwhile Ludwig made a quickly review of all horrors of war he had an opportunity to observe during his long live Almost all history of mankind was bloody. Hundreds of lives. Every soul in separate memory.

"You are the one who do not have any idea."

"I am warning you, my boy, only because I like you, you should control your anger."

"You do not want to have any idea."

"Court-martial, purity of the race, faithfulness to the Reich." Gauleiter almost hisses this phrases.

Germany rose, calmly looked at all generals. Sophie shook a little. In her mind she was begging Ludwig not to do anything that they would have both regret. She stared at the tired, porcelain white face of her… of Ludwig. The sun was making reflexes in his hair. She was thinking. "Don't do this kid, just don't. You won't win with them. Be calm, you know how, you are a specialist in being calm." Ludwig stood for a moment then he took his cap and left the room. He slammed the door with such a force that Führer on the wall shook violently. Silent man from the Office of the Reich who was sitting in the corner raised his bushy eyebrows. He was waiting for an explanation.


	3. Chapter 3

"Don't worry about him. He had tough life." Sophie almost didn't recognize her own voice. It was quieter and she really didn't want to sound more confident when she spoke with these people.

"I hope it was just an accident. We will forget about whole case when he came back with a few words of explanation." Hanke squinted, trying to give her Ludwig's expression. Austria completely inappropriately to the whole situation realized how fake it looked. It almost amused her that Ludwig might became a precursor of the ideal officer of the Third Reich. You couldn't just fake Germany's expression. His eyes were naturally cold and unforgiving. He didn't have to wait until his gaze would be full of coldness. And Sophie could see how Gauleiter tried to imitate Germany, his face looked like he was consulting this expression with every muscle he had.

"I will talk with him." She stood slowly, she had never liked office negotiations she also hated quarrels with Ludwig, but now there was no other choice. Austria didn't agree with them, but she knew that they didn't have a chance to convince them. She had to find Ludwig and talk with him. After all she promised Gilbert, right?

There were many corridors and even more doors. She had to try all of them. Most were closed. So she knocked and waited eventually apologized for interrupting. Finally one of the doors on the top floor opened. They didn't creaked. In the Third Reich doors couldn't creaked.

"You found me."

"Don't I always?"

"Well…"

"What was that? Hmm? Don't you know how it will end?" She rushed into dark room. It looked more like private room then office. A little dusty, perhaps forgotten. Ludwig was sitting on a chair, calmly reading some papers.

"I will not allow them to just make plans about… about me! They are completely fuck ups! Burn the city? We have to defend cities not burn them to the ground!"

"But you hear them, they want to…" Sophie locked the door with the key. She went closer to Ludwig.

"Drink gallons of whiskey in some nice office with oak furniture. That is their plan for next few months.."

"Still not accustomed to this? After all these years you should know that this is a norm. Every hinterland looked like this. If someone wants to fight his place is on the front." Harsh words made Ludwig feels sick.

"I won't allow them to destroy the city. Do I really look like a blind servant of the Führer?"

Sophie wanted to say that yes, because he believed Hitler and it took him long enough to understand something that she realized soon after the Anschluss. But instead she just said.

"Don't yell."

"I really do not care if someone hear this!" Ludwig jumped up from the chair and stood in front of Sophie. He wasn't himself and the situations required drastic remedy. Contrary to Austrias' intentions just after Germany finished shouting she slapped him. Hard, rotated ring cut his cheek. After a while the rebel against the authority sat on the floor, confused and not sure what just had happened. He touched his bleeding cheek..

"Why did you do that?"

"Because Gilbert on the eastern front is enough for me! Do you really want to go there and allow them to punished you for I don't know wrong laced boots? Hmm? They eat people for dinner there, even if they are as brave as you are honey. Well, now…" She crouched down next to him and she reached for her silky white handkerchief and wiped up his cheek. The handkerchief was good only to threw away.

"You don't have to…" Ludwig didn't protest too much, just allowed Sophie to clean up. He felt that he lost this conversation. Too much emotions and lack of functional reason. After all there was no place for ideals in the offices of The Third Reich.

"I didn't mean to hit you." Austria didn't bother with his personal space, she just leaned to him and lightly kiss his injured cheek.

"I know, it just happened."

"Now, you will go to them. You will say that you will never act like that again. You will ask for transfer to another office and you will never ever say anything against official politic, not even when you will be with privates."

"Are you actually feel all right?" Ludwig touched her forehead. "I have no such intention. You can go and apologize if you want. I am not going!"

"What is your problem Ludwig? Do you really not see in what situations we are here? We need flexibility to survive. You looked for things like that through your fingers, what change now?"

"I just don't want to be seen for the next centuries as the biggest criminalists in Europe. It is not my sandbox, not anymore."

"Oh, but it is. It is your sandbox, if you want or not. It doesn't change anything.." After a short moment of silence Austria interrupted Germany's attempt to answer by digging her nails into his trembling hands and kissing him. She could feel his rabbit pulse, chaotic beating. Heart so similar to trapped bird. Small and helplessness. Finally one hand jerked free from her grip, allowing her to leave a few red streaks.

"You go there and you do what I told you and if not we will have talk in the evening."

"I am not going to.."

"Realize stupid, you can't be rebel against yourself." She whispered. Mouth still closed to his cheek. "Hey, everything is okay." She added.

Blue eyes momentarily lost startled expression and mercy, they forget about validity. They turned onto two small icebergs which reflected the summer day.

Late afternoon was unusually very cold.


	4. Chapter 4

"Can I get up?"

"Do you understand what you need to do now?"

"Yes."

"You don't sound very convincingly." Austria blinked still holding Ludwig to the ground. "One more time."

"Yes, I know what I have to do."

"And what is that?"

"I will go to them and I will promise that situation like today will have never happened anymore. Then I will talk with Gauleiter and I will ask him to transfer me to another office and I will never react in a way I did." His voice was quiet and tired. Austria knew that he wanted just to go out from this building and never came back. But this was impossible. She had to force him to go and apologize for his own good.

"Very good." Sophie avoided his eyes, improving buttons of his uniform. "Are you okay?" In response she heard a faint murmur. An angry murmur. "Don't be nervous. Everything is just a game. Sick awful game. And we have to…"

Germany suddenly stood up and improved his uniform. He threw Sophie a little frighten look. His eyes were clean and blue like always. He left the room, Sophie could call it escape if she only wanted to think about naming it. After a crash of the door, room was filled with unbearable silence. After a few quiet seconds she stood up and analysed moment by moment the whole situations. They were drowning and she didn't see the shore, not now. And she was angry at Gilbert that he manipulated her into this, into half broken Ludwig, stupid Nazis and God's knew what else. After the Great War she thought that her world ended. But now the end would be even worse than last time.

The man from the Office of the Reich, which was checking how they were preparing Breslau, came back to Berlin with a check for a round sum. The silence he offered in return was real gold for Gauleiter Hanke.

Sophie didn't even try to sleep. She spent a night pacing from wall to wall in her bedroom anxiously waiting for lights of the car. Dogs were concerned about the lack of their owner and they were going around her as they were waiting for an information.

"I don't know…" Austria sat down in the nearest armchair and stroked the head of the pet. The dog poked her hand. "I am worried too."

It was two in the morning. The whole street was silent, everyone was sleeping only owls were making a little noise. Sophie sat it total darkness, her hearing sharpened to the cat's parameters. She was waiting for the noise of an engine, or characteristic rumble of small cobblestones under the pressure of the wheels. But none of this sound interrupted the silence. So Sophie kept waiting and stroking dog's head.

Suddenly the ringing of the door ring cut the silence. Austria almost ran to the door. Finally she caught up the doorknob and opened it all the way, certain that she will see Ludwig. But instead she saw well known silhouette, piercing purple eyes fell on old man who was living across the street. The whole neighbourhood knew him as an eccentric. The officials leaved him alone, because of his opinion of a madman and his past. Karl Braun was former army physician, the government owed him a lot. So they allowed him to stay in his house and didn't bother him. So the old man had all time in the world to spy on his neighbours and took care of his little menagerie – three cocks and four hens.

"Good Morning Frau Edelstein." He looked around conspiratorially.

"Hello Herr Braun…" She tried to calm her voice in the dark. "Is something wrong? Do you want me to help you go home or maybe you are not feeling well?"

"Shhh, please speak quietly, they can hear us."

"Who can hear us?"

"They took the boy, didn't they?"

"What are you talking about?"

"They took him and he is not going to come back." The old man looked straight into Sophies eyes.

"Who… Ludwig? No, Herr Braun he is just busy with important things… please go home." Austria felt more and more anxious. Suddenly she felt like in one of those horror movies which she watched, because Ludwig was very interested in them.

"Yes the boy, his name was Ludwig. When did they take him?"

"Nobody took Ludwig, he went to work. Please don't worry yourself, Herr Broun."

"He works in the three in the morning?" The old man whispered accusingly.

"It's unique situation."

"In your place I won't expect that he soon comes back."

Older gentleman marched off in the directions to his own house. Sophie tried to catch breath and supressed a sudden panic attack.


End file.
